Receptacle for tableware and the like



INVENTOR. viga amc M. l. NAKEN RECEPTACLE FOR TABLEWARE AND THE LIKE Filed June 20, 1947 April 29, 1952 Patented Apr. 29, 1952 RECEPTACLE FOR TABLEWARE AND THE LIKE Morris I. Naken, Chicago, Ill. Application 4June' 20, 1947, Serial No. 755,915

This invention relates to improvements in storage receptacles for tableware andthe like. and

moreparticularly to receptacles designed to receive and store sterling silver or silver plated table flatware and which are commonly known as silver chests.

. It is common practice for the householder to a store the 'sterling silver or silver plated table flatware in such silver chests whichfare receptacles or containers specifically designed to receive and retain such articles. The principal and serious fault of the presentA commercial chest is that when the flatware is most urgently required it is found to be in a tarnished condition requiring the expenditure of time and effort for washing and polishing before it can be used. This is jespecially true in the inexpensive or medium priced field.

It is a well known fact that tarnish is caused principally by the sulphur in the atmosphere which combines with the silver to form a silver sulphide deposit upon the flatware. Some tarnish too `is caused by oxidation.

Various expedients have been tried to overcome this undesirable condition and make the silver chest tarnish proofbut without success. The ordinary or standard commercial chest when closed readily admits air and the custom chest is very expensive with a limited market. The industry has apparently despaired of making an inexpensive airtight container and the method commonly resorted to at the present time is the use of a specially prepared cloth as a chest lining. By a well known process, silver particles are deposited throughout such cloth area it being -expected that such silver particles would take up a` suflicient amount of the atmospheric sulphur togprevent a silver sulphide deposit on the flatware. Such specially prepared lining is expensive and has failed to achieve the intended purpose.

Another common expedient is to lacquer the individual pieces but after a short period of use the lacquer is destroyed. Repeated lacquering is both expensive and bothersome and is soon abandoned.

It is the object ofthe present invention to provide a new and improved silver chest which is free from the faults of the prior art.

A further object is to provide a silverware chest which is relatively airtight and which will store silverware for an indefinite period without tarnish.

A further object is to provide a silverware chest which can be made in quantity for the retail trade and'which is sufficiently airtight to keep the stored articles in bright condition,

2 Claims. (Cl. 217-3) Another object is to provide a silverware chest which may contain a number of relatively `ner-- metic'ally sealed compartments in the chest.

, Another object is to provide a silverware chest which can be cheaply and inexpensively made, which is both appealing in appearance and relatively airtight to `prevent tarnish.

These and numerous other objects and advantages will be apparent throughout the progress of the following specifications. A

The accompanying drawing illustrates a selected embodiment of the invention and the views therein are as follows:

4vZ-Z'of Fig. 1.l

Figure 3 is a front view showing the depend- Y ing portion of the cover turned back. y

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary front end view.

To illustrate the preferred embodiment of the present invention there is shown a chest 2 comprising a container body I8 of any desired size and shape'having a base I2, side walls I4, rear Wall I6 and the front wall I8. The base and walls are constructed of rigid material 20 and covered on their outer faces with the covering material 22. It has been found that when rigid fibrous material such as wood is used for container body construction satisfactory .results are obtained, such material supplying sufficient rigidity with lightness of weight. Leather, Leatherette, or any similar substance may be employed as a suitable covering material.

The inner faces and Wall edges of said container body I0 are covered with felted material 24 to prevent scratching and marring the surfaces of the silverware and for other reasons hereinafter to be explained. The outer face of front wall I8 is also covered in whole or in part with the similar felted material 26 as shown in Fig. 3. The felting of the outer face of front wall I8 is of paramount importance for reasons hereinafter shown.

Permanently secured and sealed across the rear wall I6 of container body I0 in any well known manner is the cover 28 preferably of a flexible construction and which may be made of the same material as that used in covering the outer faces of said container body I0 or any other` material as desired. The cover 28 is lined on its inner face with felted material 30 and is made suiciently long to impend over the felted edge of the front wall I8 and the felted portion 26 thereof to form a depending portion 32 as shown in Fig. 4. When the chest is closed, a portion of the felted material 30 of the cover 28 is always in .close contact with the felted edge and felted outer face of front wall I8 as shown at 3S in Fig. 3. A weighted member 34 is enclosed in the front edge of cover 28 which causes the depending portion 32 of said cover to hug the front wallof said container body l and to maintain close contact between the felted areas of the cover and the said front wall.

The hair particles of such felted areas have a mechanical afnity for each otherand .the friction arising out of the contact between the two felted surfaces creates an electrostatic field which causes the said hair particlesv :in such areas where contact is maintained tov ,interlock and intertwine thus forming an air seal vwhich prevents the ingress of any substantiallamount of air into the chest.

The cover :2,8v is. further Aformed `along each .side lwith. slide fasteners 3B which lock. and .seal

the said cover to the side. walls I4 of contailler body In so that when closed the chest becomes a relatively hermetically sealed, airtight container.

If desired the chest 2 may be constructed with one or more partitioning members 38 and of a height substantially Aequal lto the height of the container walls said partitioning members being covered on all its outer .faces with felted material `lill. It will be apparent that. when so constructed individual airtight compartments such as 42 are formed inside the chest 2 the felted inner facing cover material 30 combining with the welted partitioning members as at 42 to create a positive inner seal thus further preventingthe ingress of yair into the sealed compartment.

It may be noted vthat a exible cover is employed and slide fasteners are used as locking means in the 'preferred embodiment of the invention, Although such construction has been found to .bevery satisfactory, the .conventional rigid or semi-.rigid'cover Ymay be used in conjunction with any other well known locking means without departing from the, spirit of the invention. It has been further found that when the principle of using a feltedv lining on :the cover in combination with felted outer walls and edges is employed satisfactory results are obtained even though all other locking or sealing means are dispensed with.

Any type of feltedmaterial may be used to line the cover and ,the walls Yand edges of the container body ID with satisfactory results but if the specially treated felt such `as hereinabove described is used silver or silver plated tableware may be kept in the improved chest almost indefinitely without tarnishing.

It may be noted that although rigid filamentary or fibrous material such as wood is preferred as material for constructing the container body l0 and partitioning members 38, any type of rigid material including metal may be used without losing the advantages imparted by the inyention.

It thus may be seen that the Apresent invention provides a relatively airtight, hermetically sealed silverware chest which may be easily and cheaply manufactured and yet which retains and stores the silver tableware in sealed compartments substantially preventing tarnishment.

Changes may be made in form and-construc- 4is as follows.

tion without departing from the spirit of the inventions or sacrificing any of the advantages and the right is hereby reserved to make all changes as fairly fall within the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States I claim: f y

1. A relatively airtight receptacle for tableware and the like comprising an open top rigid walled container body having a front wall partially felted on its outer face, a flexible cover for said container body permanently secured to the rear wall of said container body, said cover having aielted inner face and being of sufficient length to impend over the partially felted kouter `face of the front wall of'said container body, the felted surfaces of the cover and the outer face of the front wall being in juxtaposis tion when vthe receptacle is closed, ,slide fastening` opening and closing means along the sides ofv .said container body and cover for opening and closing said receptacle and a weighted member enclosed in the front edge of said cover to retain the depending portion of said cover in contact with the front wall of said receptacle whereby felted portions of the cover and the front Wall are .kept in` constant juxtapositive position when the receptacle is closed.

2. A relatively vairtight chest for tableware and the like comprising a substantially rectangular open top rigid walled container body, said container body being substantially felted on its inner surfaces and walls and having a front wail partially vfclted on itsl outer face, a plurality of felted partitioning members in said container body at least one of which partitioning members in said container body is of a height substantially equal to the height of said container walls, a iiexible cover for said container body permanently secured to the rear wall of said container body said cover having a felted inner ,face and being of a sufiicient length to impend over the partially felted cuter face of the front wall of said container body, the felted surfaces of the cover and the outer face of the front wall being in juxtaposition when receptacle is closed, slide fastening opening and closing means along the sides of said container body and cover for opening and closing said chest and a weighted member enclosed in the front edge of said cover to retain the depending portion of said cover in contact with the front wall of Vsaid chest whereby felted portions -of the cover and front wall are kept in constant juxtapositive position when the chest is closed.

MORRIS I. NAKEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the iile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Langsner Oct. 26, 

